Hernia pad



Sept. 12, 1939. F. E. MOORE 2,172,621

HERNIA PAD Filed Aug. 19, 1935 F BNVENTOR a' re BY J va) ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERNIA PAD Fred E. Moore, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 19, 1935, Serial No. 36,838

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a pad to be used for amelioration of a hernia.

Pads of various kinds f been proposed; 'but all of disadvantages.

or this purpose have them have inherent These pads serve merely as a support, with no attempt to assist or accelerate the normal curative powers of the suferer.

cordingly, pads of this c worn over indefinite perio Acharacter are usually ds, and are not only decidedly uncomfortable, but cause Very annoying irritation.

It is one of the 'objects of this invention to provide a pad that overcomes these disadvantages.

It is another object of the invention to make it possible, by means of the pad, to aid the recuperative powers of the' patient in repairing the rupture.

These results are accomplished by providing a pad made in such form that it can adequately support the hernia and ye t permit blood circulation to the membranes adjacent the hernia. In this way, the recuperative powers of the body are permitted to rebuild and repair the membranes around the hernia,

is in. many cases efiected. vention, accordingly, is no and thereby a cure The pad of this int merely a palliative,

but is an active agent assisting in the cure of the trouble.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other object s which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose there are shown a few forms in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. These forms shall now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the inv ention;

but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best dened by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a pad incorporating the invention shown as supported upon a truss of conventional form;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View take-n fied form of the invention.

The truss structure I is adapted, as is Well understood, to encompass the trunk of the wearer.

the lower portion of It is usually provided with one or more Slots such as 2 for supporting a hernia pad. This hernia pad is shown to best advantage in. Figs. 2 and 3.

The hernia. pad 3 is shown as being made from porous resilient or yielding material, such as '5 sponge rubber. It has a generally convex active surface %adapted to contact with the' body of the patient. The truss structure I is adapted, as is well understood, to urge the apex of the pad 3 firmly against the hernia.

In. pads that have been in common use hereto fore, a soft or yielding material has been utilized and their main function has 'been merely to support the hernia without any attempt actually to assist in the cure of the hernia. As is 1`5 well understood for example in abdominal hernia, the membrane supporting the intestines is Weakened or ruptured so that a portion of the' intestines protrudes and forms a lump. It has been found that by proper design of the pad, not only is it possible to hold the intestines inside of the abdomen, but also to assist in the kn'tting together or strengthening of the walls of the supporting membrane, so that ultimately thepad can be discarded and a cure effected.

To secure this result the area of contact between the pad 3 and the aected part of the body is so defined that circulation of blood adjacent this portion of the body is not materially impeded and air is permitted to circulate over the affected p-ortions adjacent the point of contact.

For this purpose a plurality of grooves 5 is provided which converge generally toward the apex of the pad. These grooves diminish in depth as the apex is approached, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. By virtue of these grooves the pad is worn with a greater degree of comfort than those heretofore utilized by hernia patients.

The pad 3 is furthermore made hollow providing a concave inner surface E adapted to overlie a. supporting member 1. This supporting member 'I can be appropriately formed of Bakelite and serves as a cover for a body member 8. This body member 8 has an exterior thread 9 engaged by the depending edge lll of the cover member 1'. Furthermore the supporting body 8 has a recess or cavity ll forming a, space for the accommodation of medicinal liquid. This medicinal liquid is adapted to be fed gradually to the contacted area of the patienfis body, as by the aid of an aperture !2 in the top of cover 1. This aperture l2 in alinement with a small central aperture 13 through the pad 3.

The pad 3 at its base is provided with the inturned integral flange |4 whereby the pad is supported between the edge I of cover 'I and the fiange l5 of the supporting body 8. The fiange !4, together with the body 8, also serves to maintain the base of the pad against deformation due to pressure exerted on the apex 4. This is an important feature, since by maintaining the convex configuration of the pad, it ensures that the pressure exerted by the apex will be confined to a relatively small area of the body of the wearer, and further, that the grooves 5 will be maintained open, and will not be obstructed by their sides coming together, as would occur if the pad was allowed to Collapse. The pad 3 being yielding and resilient, can easily be removed from the supporting structure and replaced thereon by merely stretching it over the cover 1.

In order to support the pad structure including the pad proper 3 and the supporting structure 'I and 8 upon the truss l, a post !6 can be molded into the body 8 which is preferably made from Bakelite or similar material. This post is threaded and has a collar ll Contacting with the lower surface of the body 8. The post passes through a slot 2 in truss l and a thumb nut |8 is utilized to hold the pad structure in place. This thumb nut l8 can be provided with a loop !9 for turning the nut l8.

Should it be desired to utilize liquid medicine, it is a simple matter to remove the pad 3 and unscrew the cap 'I for exposing the recess ll. Such medicine may be advisable at times for soothing the skin and prevent irritation.

The particular configuration of the pad 3 can be varied to suit specific conditions. For example, in the form shown in Fig. 4, a pad is illustrated having a higher apex and, therefore,

adapted to extend somewhat deeper into the affected portion of the body.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a hollow pad made from porous yielding material, and having a convex active surface, said surface having grooves therein generally converging toward the apex of the surface, said pad having a lower inwardly directed flange, and a hollow rigid support for said pad, comprising a cover member having a depending edge, and a body member, said flange being adapted to be inserted between the depending edge of the cover member and the body member, said cover member being removable for placing liquid into the support, said cover member having an aperture for the discharge of the liquid to the pad, said pad having an aperture in communication with the cover aperture.

2. In a device of the character described, a hollow externally threaded support, a cover disposed over the support, said cover being provided with a depending interiorly threaded edge adapted to engage the support, and a yielding pad having a fiange engaged beneath the depending edge.

3. In a device of the character described, a hollow threaded support, a cover disposed'over the support, said cover being provided With a depending threaded edge adapted to engage the support, and a yielding pad having a fiange engaged beneath the depending edge, said pad being made from sponge rubber and having an aperture in communication with an aperture in the cover.

FRED E. MOORE. 

